PROVIDENCE – Lenders in September completed less than half the number of foreclosures in the Providence-Fall River-New Bedford area as they did during the same period last year and initiated 38 fewer new foreclosures, RealtyTrac said Friday.

The Califronia-based real estate data firm reported 162 repossessions recorded in the metropolitan area in September, a decline of 55 percent from the 358 finished foreclosures in September 2011.

At the same time, there were 213 foreclosure sale notices filed, compared with 346 last September.

Finished foreclosures and new foreclosure starts dropped year over year in both Rhode Island and Bristol County, Massachusetts last month.

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